(Scott Johnson)
Team Biden staged a televised event for their man to speak inside an empty Pittsburgh site. Biden stared fixedly at a prompter placed at some distance before him. He had no audience and took no questions. The thing was weird beyond belief.
The speech itself was a mind-numbing collection of platitudes, cliches, and lies. To that extent it was a conventional political speech. Listening to it, however, is painful. Biden has become a deeply contrived figure. Thus the artificiality of the staging.
Here are a few items that I think are worthy of note, mostly without further comment:
• gratuitous mention of “cancer researchers in Minnesota” (i.e., Minnesota is in play and we’re on his dance card)
• those cancer researchers in Minnesota become singular and feminine (“she’ll never give up”)
• “I want a safe America” (that’s bold!)
• “right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness…” x 2 or 3 (formerly known as “the thing”)
• misquote of Kellyanne Conway
• “Mike Prence”
• if he were president there would be less violence: “Here’s why. I’ve personally spoken to George Floyd’s family and to Jacob Blake’s family…They’ve told us none of this violence honors George or Jacob”
• word salad at 14:10 when he loses his place…incapable of expressing coherent thought
• Trump “plan to defund Social Security” (a golden oldie)
• “he’s stroking violence…”
• “multiplying…” (emphasis on “ply” as he reads along)
• “declining faith in the birth of the right American future…”
• “building the nation’s roads, bridges, solar rays…”
• replaying Russia bologna…Biden is humiliated…wow
• “I am not banning fracking”
• “my all resolve to solve”
• The principal video recording available on YouTube is programmed or hacked to stutter on “right-wing militias”
The text of the speech demonstrated the Democratic themes against Trump, but, as I say, Biden’s performance is weirdly out of joint. He is fortunate to be graced by an utterly compliant press.
